1. CROSS REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS
Related patent applications, entitled BUILDING ASSEMBLY, Ser. No. 07/358,182 now U.S. Pat. No. D 327,129; ADJUSTABLE AND RETRACTABLE MENU AND ORDER DISPLAY UNIT, Ser. No. 07/358,196 now U.S. Pat. No. D 321,724; and BEVERAGE DISPENSER AND SERVICE MODULE, Ser. No. 06/358,186 now U.S. Pat. No. D 331,169, all to Frank R. Casale, Nicola D. Casale, Antonio A. Casale, and Richard P. Bennett are being filed concurrently and on even date herewith, the teachings of which are incorporated herein by reference.
2. Field of the Invention
The invention relates to an apparatus and method for food preparation and delivery and more particularly to an apparatus and method adapted to cook to completion separately precooked and packaged basic food product and separate food items which are selectively combined with the basic food product prior to cooking to completion. The combination is then rapidly cooked to completion for quick delivery of a prepared food product to a patron. The invention also relates to the building and its assembly in which the process is carried out, a retractable menu, and a conveyor delivery structure, a beverage dispenser and a service module.
3. Description of the Related Art
Pizza is traditionally prepared only after a request or order is received. The cooking time for pizza is notoriously lengthy and it is not considered a "fast food" by the public. Usually, a patron of a pizza serving establishment must wait at least twenty to twenty-five minutes after placing an order before the pizza is delivered. This wait discourages many who have time constraints from ordering pizza. In addition, each pizza is generally somewhat individually made in that a patron chooses which of a plurality of available condiments he wishes on his pizza. Thus, complete pizzas are typically not preparable in advance, although some establishments place pizzas prepared before orders are made under heat lamps or use microwave ovens to prepare pizzas, either of which degrade the quality of the pizza or create unsatisfactory pizzas.
Thus, there is clearly a need for speedier pizza preparation without sacrificing taste or quality. Similarly, there is a need for a building and apparatus to provide for speedier food production.